Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

Redskins Nation is a half-hour show devoted to giving fans unfiltered access to the day's events at Redskins Park. Hosted by Larry Michael, the show features Redskins players, coaches and sit-down interviews with team officials. (Show re-airs at 11:30 p.m/7:30 a.m. daily)

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Whether a rookie or a 14-year veteran, the Bye Week is looked by all Redskins players at as a time to re-charge the batteries and stay mentally sharp and focused on their next game, which is Nov. 18 vs. the Philadelphia Eagles at FedExField.

The rookie example? Cornerback Richard Crawford, who will be heading home to Dallas to work out with his old defensive backs coach.

“I really don’t take days off during the season,” Crawford said Tuesday. “The only reason I’m really going back to Dallas is to get in some work with my old DBs coach to get some work in because we can’t be with our coaches. I’m going to do that probably every day, work out with him, and then come back here ready to play.”

While he’s in town, Crawford said he’s also looking forward to catching his alma mater, SMU, play Southern Miss — and he said he hopes he doesn’t get too caught up in the college atmosphere.

“We’ll see how it is,” Crawford said. “Hopefully I won’t get too involved, because I was kind of like a player-coach when I was there. So I’m going to try to stay away from all of that this time.”

Though this is Crawford’s first Bye Week as a professional, it’s certainly the opposite for Redskins middle linebacker London Fletcher.

Fletcher — a 14-year NFL veteran whose wife and kids live in Charlotte, N.C., during the season — said Tuesday he was very much looking forward to seeing his family.

“I’m just going to relax and be home with family,” Fletcher said. “It’s very important for me because my family, they’re down in Charlotte, so it’ll be good for me to get down there and be with them.”

Fletcher said he uses the Bye Week as a “way to get away from it for a little bit.”

“We’ve been going at it for a while now,” Fletcher said. “You’re looking at nine ball games and five weeks of preseason, so that’s a lot of football. It’s time for a break just to mentally decompress, I guess.”

Same goes for Redskins outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan.

Kerrigan’s only other Bye Week as a professional came last season, when the Redskins were off after playing their first four games of the regular season. He feels this year’s Bye Week will be more beneficial.

“I think it’ll be nicer,” said Kerrigan, who leads the Redskins with 4.5 sacks this season. “Last year was kind of weird because we had gone through training camp all the way up through Week 4 and played all four regular-season games, but came back and knew we still have 12 regular-season games left. But this year it’s different because I think it’ll be a little more refreshing for the back half of the season now that we’re getting an off week now.”

Kerrigan said he’s looking forward to seeing friends and family in his hometown of Muncie, Ind. — and, most of all, getting “some of mom’s cookin’.”

“But I won’t be taking all the time off,” Kerrigan said. “I’ll still be working out, but it will be nice to kind of mentally clear my mind for a little bit.”

Tight end Logan Paulsen estimates he has about a 10-hour trip in front of him before he’s able to visit his wife’s parents in his home state of California.

It won’t be as grueling as the last time Paulsen and his wife, Kelly, came home from California prior to the start of training camp this season. That time, they decided to drive the entire way.

“It took us about a week because we stopped and kind of vacationed at each stop,” Paulsen said. “In terms of hours, it’s about a 48-hour drive, so if you were going to drive straight through, it would take a couple days.”

It’s a completely different story for veteran Redskins tight end Chris Cooley, however.

Cooley was released by the team Aug. 28 and missed the first seven weeks of the regular season before a season-ending injury to starting tight end Fred Davis led the Redskins to re-sign Cooley Oct. 21.

Cooley — who doesn’t yet have a catch in his first two games back with the team — said he’s sticking close to Redskins Park this Bye Week.

“I really don’t have any plans,” Cooley said with a laugh. “I was on an eight-week Bye Week earlier, so I’ll be around here.”

The Redskins will group together once again next Monday for their first post-Bye Week practice.

4 Responses
to “Football, Family Focus During Bye Week”

Honestly everyone can use a break now. I wonder if in the back of Has’s mind he’s thinking of The Eagle’s opening drive. I’ll bet Vic opens up the first play with that long bomb to Jackson. Yeah the same one that burnt Landry’s ass the year before last. I know Vic’s just squirming anxiously waiting knowing the skins are a good burn there. They tried it last week but the Saints had two DB’s ready and put it down. I think Landry even blew out his leg and got sidelined awhile after that. At least he would put a good hit on someone and make ‘em pay most of the time.
It would be good to see them (defensive coaches) plan for this next week. I’d like to see a play on the ball instead of the usual redskin player 4 steps behind Jackson as the ball falls into reception and the Eagle’s score the first 5 seconds of the game. I’d like to see a pic and put the Eagle’s out of their misery. Rest now but get busy next week. Someone’s getting an embarrassing and humiliating smack down next weekend.

I hope everybody thinking in the back of they mind coaches nd players well be evaluated and if they cant get the job done they wont be here next year…Its mainly that defense …nd Kyle s. Stop calling them dumb plays thats the reason y we cant score in the red zone